Landscapes of longevity: the calcium-selenium-mercury connection in cancer and heart disease

Med Hypotheses. 1997 Apr;48(4):355-60. doi: 10.1016/s0306-9877(97)90107-9.

Abstract

Cancer and heart disease display spatial patterns that suggest the possible involvement of calcium and selenium deficiencies and mercury excess in their aetiologies. As a consequence, longevity tends to be most common in regions where the environment is calcium- and selenium-enriched but contains only low levels of mercury. Examples are cited from West Africa, China, England and the USA.

MeSH terms

  • Africa, Western / epidemiology
  • Calcium / deficiency*
  • China / epidemiology
  • England / epidemiology
  • Heart Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Heart Diseases / etiology
  • Humans
  • Longevity*
  • Mercury Poisoning*
  • Models, Biological*
  • Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Neoplasms / etiology
  • Selenium / deficiency*
  • United States / epidemiology

Substances

  • Selenium
  • Calcium